Sewing-machine feed mechanism



Aug-Z53 1923 I 1,46%,152

R. M. SHARAF SEWING MACHINE FEED MECHANISM Original Filed Oct. 24, 19165 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 2, m3. I 1,486,352

R. M. EHARNF SEWING MACHINE FEED MECHANISM Original Filed Oct. 24-, 19165 Sheets-Sheet 5 IIVVEN 0H 69/ ATTORNEY Aug. 2%, E923. I mama R. M.SHARAF SEWING MACHINE FEED MECHANISM Original Filed Oct. 24,- 1916 5Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTOHNEY Aug. 28, 19.23. 3,466,152

R. M. SHARAF SEWING MACHINE FEED MECHANISM Original Filed Oct. 24, 19165 Sheets-Sheet 4 m ATTORNEY .WzQ f/ZZL/ I Aug. 28, 1923. 1,466,152

' R. M. SHARAF SEWING MACHINE FEED MECHANISM Original Filed Oct. 24.1916 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 28, 1923,

nausea stares iaaaise earsur eri ics,

RALPH M. SHARAF, OF NEW YO RKyN. Y., ASSIGNOR TO "IR. MJSHARAF MACHINE00., v

OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

SEWING-MACHINE FEED MECHANISM.

Application filed October 24, 1916, Serial No. 127,323. Renewed July'lt,1922. Serial No. 484,507. 9

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH M. SHARAF, a citizen of thewUnited States, anda resident of the borough of the Bronx, in the city and State of NewYork, "have invented a new and Improved Sewing-Machine'Feed Mechanism,of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

This invention relatesto sewing machines provide a difierential'feed fora two-needlev sewing machine in which thecontrol of the feeding devicesmay be accomplished independently of the other operations of the machineand while the machine is running.

The foregoing and other objects. of the invention will hereinafter bemore fullyidescribed and claimed and illustrated in the drawings forminga part of this specification inwhich like characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in whicha V Figure 1is a front elevation of a conventional form of sewingmachine head. andoperating mechanism to which is applied my novel means for controllingthe several independent cloth feeding devices from below the table;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the needle mechanism and laceoperating devices associated therewith;

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the machine head and tablesubstantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; I

Figure 4 is a partial view of the same with parts in different positionsof adjustment;

Figure 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 of Figure 3; V

section, of the concentric cloth feeding rock detail of the stitchadjusting mechanism substantially on the line 12--12 of Figure 4,

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout thevarious figures of the drawing. f

. This invention is also disclosed; in my other application filedherewith, Serial No.

11 isa plan View of the same {and y F igure 12 1s a sectional viewindicating a 127,322, the claims of said applicationrelating to themeans for applying lace or other trimmings to fabrics. Said lace ap-'plying devices are so constructed as to be. 7

used in connection with either a single needle or a multiple needlemachine. Itfollows, therefore, that the several parts of this machinemaybe made of any suitable materials and the relative sizes and propor-V tions, as well as the various details-of construction, may be modifiedto a considerable extent without departing from the spirit of theinvention hereinafter. claimed.

By way of illustration, I show at 10 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) a common form'ofsewing machine head supported upon a table 11 and having any suitabledriving mechanism including a main shaft 12, a drivingw'heel 13 and abelt 14. Y

l/Vithin or below the bed 15 of the sew ng. machine is arranged, asusual, the operating mechanism for the bobbins and the cloth fee dingdevices. These means include a: countershaft 16 having cranks 17 adaptedto be rotated from the main shaft 12 by connecting rods 18. Operatedfrom the counterschaft 16 in'the usual manner is a shaft 19 (Fig. 6)having miter gear connections. at20 with the several rotary bobbins 21.

Associated with the several needle mechanisms described" below areindependently movable feeding bars 22 (Figs.j6, 10 and 11) havingtoothed cloth engaging dogs 23 movable upwardly through and reciprocating forwardly and rearwardly along spaced.

openings 24 (Fig. 8) in a throat plate 25 secured to the'bed of themachine. The front ends of said bars 22 are povotally connected'to shortcranks 26 and 2 6"eXtending laterally from adjacent the ends of a pairof concentric rock shafts 27 and 28 respectively, the latter beingjournaled within the former. The feeding bars have their rear endslifted by means of a rock shaft 22f operated from thecountershaft 16 bymeans of a fork 22 and a cam 22. An arm '22 securedto the shaftj22 isconnected to the .rear ends of said bars 22 by means of blocks 22 'overwhich the bars are shdable substantially horizontally underthe operationof the main "feeding mechanism described below. Adjacent the oppositeends of saidshafts are connected other cranks 29 and'29 respectively 7)and which extend therefrom in substantially the same direction as theother cranks. The shafts 27 and 28 are gadapted to be oscillatedor'rocked either to oted to a pair of blocks 31 (Figs. 3, 4 and Vjournaled to the bottom of the bed.

12) slidable in slots 32 formed in a peculiar construction of radius bar32 which is operated from the countershaft 16 by means of an eccentric33 co-operating with a fork 34 rigidly connected to said radius .bar.The fork is supported upon a short r ck shaft-35 The blocks 3l aremovable along the slots 32 toward or to the center of oscillation oraxis of the shaft 35 and hence they are movable also outwardly orradially therefrom. By adjusting the blocksand the connected links 30outwardly from the axis of theshaft 35, the effective throw of theblocks and links, and consequently the efiective oscillation of the rockshafts 27 and 28, are correspondingly increased. It follows, therefore,that the throw of each of they feed bars is dependentupon the adjustmentof the respective block 31, or in other words, upon the throw of theradius bar as made effective through the corresponding crank and linkconnections. The construction and specific operation of these severallink and crank connections for the independent feed bars may be carriedout in various Ways and made effective differently, but in theembodiment of the invention herein set forth, I contemplate that theshafts 27 and 28, when oscillated together at the same speed, will givethe maximum rate of speed to both of the 7 feed bars, and then bydecreasing the distance of adjustment of the block 81 out.-

wardly from the center of th vert'ically'from said links, and pivotallyconnected to the pair of cranksy37' and 37,

These cranks are rigidly connected to the ends of a pair of concentricshafts orpivots' 38 and 38 respectively, and m the other ends of theseshafts are connectedother cranks 39 and 39 respectively which haveindependent linked connections at 40 with a pair of slides 41. A doublegrooved'cam plate 42is journaled upon a bracket 43 beneath the machinebed, the grooves of the plate being indicated at44 and each having aspiral end '44 and a concentric end 44. The latter end extendssubstantially through an arc of 90 degrees, as shown, and the spiral endof the groove pertains to an extent of rotation of the cain'p'latesubstantially equal to that just indicated for the concentric end. Inotherfivords, the cam plate 42 is adapted to be given a maximum rotarymovement of about 180, during: one half of which the concentric portion44 is effective, and during" the other halffthe cam portion 44 iseffective. The grooves 44 are arranged on opposite sides of the camplate reversed order. Each of the slides41 is guided for movementsubstantially in rieht lines by means of pins 45 and slots 46 and isprovided at its end opposite its link connection 40 with.an antifrictionroller 47 lying and operating, within one of said grooves 44. Figure 3shows the cam plate adjusted to its mid or normal position whereby theslides 41 and their link connections with the blocks 31 are arrangedtogether or in parallelism, whereby the maximum throw of both feed barswill result. Upon rotation of the cam plate42 in either direction fromthe position just indicated, one of the slides 41 will be drawn by meansof the spiral ends 44 of the groove 44 toward the center or axis 42'of'said cam plate. The antifriction roller 47 pertaining to theotherslide, however, will follow along the concentric portion 44 of itsgroove without disturbing the adjustment of the throw of the feed barpertaining thereto. From the description above given and with referenceto the drawings it will be observed that the feedin oidog's 23' arearranged and operated. in parallelism as distinguished from in tandem.The feed bars 22 to which the dogs are connected also are operated inparallel and each bar with its dog'is adjustable in throw or speedindependently of the other, and hence there is a relative adjustmentbetween the two feeding dogs and a relative increase or decrease of thethrow of either of. them. It is to 'he noted also that the distance bars36, which serve aspart-s of the connections between the cam plate 42'and the links 30 which determine theefiective speed or throw oftheseveral feed bars, are adapted to be -moved or reciprocatedrelatively toward and from each other for the purpose of varying thedifl'erential movement between the two feeding dogs.

The means for adjusting or rotating the cam plate 42 may be variouslycontrolled, but as herein shown, I form with said plate a series of rackteeth 42 and meshing therewith is a pinion i8 connected to a shaft 49(Figs. 1 and 6) journaled in a bracket 50 extending downwardly from themachine bed. The shaft49 is fitted with a pinion 51 shown havingindirect engagement with a gear segment 52 journaled upon any suitablestationary bracket 53. The gear segment 52 is adapted to oscillatepreferably in a vertical plane at right angles to the plane of the camplate 42. As a suitable and convenient means for operating the gearsegment 52, while the machine is in operation and independent-1y of thedriving and stitch forming mechanisms, I provide a. yoke 54: extendingdownwardly from said segment and adapted to be operated by the operatorsknee in either direction. hen the yoke is'mov'ed laterally on its pivot52 in either direction from the mid or normal position, a corre spondingshortening of the stitch will be produced as to one of the independentstitch formin mechanisms as above set forth and when the yoke 54 isreturned to its normal position. both of the feed bars will movetogether and to the same extent, causing the cloth to be fed in astraight line. InFig. 2, I have indicated at 56 the two needles carriedby the needle bar 55 to which a. vertical reciprocating movement isimparted from the main shaft 12 in any well-known approved manner.

Among the special objects or purposes of the differential feed mechanismabove described is to enable me to sew lace, insertion, binding or othertrimmings upon any. part of cloth fabric, using a plurality of stitchingdevices and operate both of the feeding devices at the same or differentspeeds according as I will have the auxiliary fabric applied in a.straight line or curved either to the right or to the left. Certain ofthe figures of the drawings show lace applying devices including aspecialform of presser foot 57 secured to a presser bar 58 and made witha lace guide 59. Figs. 1 and 2: also in 'dicate at 61 a verticallyreciprocating bar employed tofeed the lace or the like,and Figs. 8 and9sh0wat 76stationary blades for cutting the cloth to which the laceissewed. The special construction,however, of the lace or auxiliaryfabric applyingdevices constitutes the immediate subject matter of myother application mentioned above, and hence is not cla-imed herein andneed not be further described with particularity.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In a sewing machine, two stitching mechanisms arrangedato producelaterallyspaced seams, individual feeding devices arranged forcooperation with the respective stitching mechanisms, means foroperating said feeding devices, and adjustable means operativelyconnected for modifying the action of both of said feeding devices eachrelative to the action of the other.

2. In a sewing machine, a plurality of stitching mechanisms, aseparatefeeding device for each of said mechanisms, and operatively connectedmeans for simultaneously effecting a relative'adjustment in the speedofall of said feeding devices.

3. In av sewing machine, a plurality of stitching. mechanisms,individual feedin means associated with the individual stitchingmechanisms, operatively connected adjustable devices for simultaneouslycontrolling the speed of all of the individual feeding means, and meansfor adjusting said devices individually.

4. In a two-needle sewing machine, the

combination with the driving and several stitching mechanisms forproducing parallel rows of stitches, of cloth feeding devices opcratingindependently of each other and associated with the several stitchforming mechanisms respectively, and operatively connected 7 means tovary the speed of either of said feeding devices while the otheroperates at a uniform speed.

5. In asewing machine, the combination with the driving and severalstitch forming mechanisms for producing parallel rows of stitchessimultaneously, of-cloth feeding devices associated with the severalstitch forming mechanisms respectively, and operating in parallel, andoperatively connected means to vary the throw of either of said feedingdevices independently of the other.

6. In a sewing machine, the combination with the driving and severalstitch forming mechanisms for producingparallel rows of stitchessimultaneously, of cloth feeding de vices associated with the severalstitch forming devices respectively, and operatively con nected means toincrease or decrease the throw of either of the feeding; devicesindependently of the other while the machine is in operation.

.7. Ina two-needle sewing machine, the

combination withfeeding and stitch form- 1 ing mechanismsincludingmeans. for forming parallelrows of stitches simultaneously, of clothfeeding devices associatedwith the respective stitch forming devices andoperating in parallel, and means under the control of the operators kneeand independent of the other operating means for decreasing the throw ofeither feeding device while the other feedi'ngrlevice remains at itsnormal throw' whereby the cloth is caused to 1 be mechanisms.

j relatively to each other.

9.1n a sewing machine, the combination with stitch forming mechanismincluding main and countershafts for producin simul-, taneously parallelrows of stitches, of (ll ii". ferential speed cloth feeding devices-forthe respective stitch mechanisms, said feeding devices including a pairof concentric rock shafts, means to oscillate said rock shafts from saidcountershaft, and operatively connected means to vary the throw of saidoscil7 lating means upon the several rock shafts 10. In a'sewingmachine, the combination withstitch forming mechanisms including mainand countershafts and a plurality of needles adapted to form parallelrows of stitches, of differential speed cloth feeding devices for therespective needles, said feeding. devices including apair of concentricrock'shafts, cranks connected to the-several concentric shafts, linksconnected to said cranks, eccentric mechanism between the countershaftand the links, and means to vary the relative positions of'the linkswith respect to the eccentric mechansm while the machine isin operation.

11. In a sewing machine, the combination with 7 driving and stitchforming mechanisms including a pluralityof needles adapted to formsimultaneously parallel rows of stitches, of a plurality of parallelfeed bars associated with the respective stitch form ing mechanisms, aplurality of'feed dogs connected to said feed bars, one dog beingwhollyat one side of the other with respect to the line ofmovement of thecloth, means to reciprocate said bars simultaneously in the samedirection but to varying distances,' 7

said last mentioned means including a radiusbar, eccentric mechanism: tooscillate the radius bar, links extending from the radius bar to theseveral rockshafts, andmeans to vary the relative positions .of said"links along the radius bar. 1 p i 13. In a diiferential'feed mechanismfor a two needl sewing machine, the combination of a pair of feed bars,a pair of rock shafts connected to thee-several bars to reciprocate themindependently of each other, and means to oscillate said rock shafts tovarying extents, said last mentioned means including a pair. OfCiiLllliSconnected to the several rock shafts, a pair of links connected to; thecranks, eccentric mechanism to reciprocate the iinks, a pair of distancebars connected to the links, and means to adjust said distance barsrelatively in'opposite directions to vary the effect of the eccentricmechanism upon the rock shafts.

la. in a differential feedmechanisin for a two-needle sewino" machine,the combination of a pair of feed bars,-a-pair of rock shafts connectedto the several. bars to re ciprocate them independently of each other,and means to oscillate said rock shafts to varying" extents, said lastmentioned means including a pair of links, eccentric mechanism connectedthrough the links to the several rock shafts and'having a radius baracting upon said links,- distance bars to adjust the links along theradius bar, anfd'a.

double cam plate connected to saidjdistance bars to move them.relatively to each other iii-opposite directions. r I

153. In a sewing machine, the combination with driving and stitchforming mechanisms, of independently controllable parallel feeding.devices operated from said drivv ing' mechanism, and means forshortening the throw 3 of one of said feeding devices while the otherremains at itsnormalthrow, said controlling means including cam memberhaving a pair of cam grooves, each of the grooves being concentric atone end and spiral at its other end and the grooves beiiigreverselyarranged on the cam member, and connections cooperating between said cammember and the feeding devices.

In a sewing machine, a rock shaft procrank, while the other ends of thefeed bars have eccentric connections with therespective concentric rockshafts.

17. In a sewing machine, a rocking memher, a set of concentric rockshafts whose axis is parallel to that of said rocking member, and a setof feed hars each of which has at one end an eccentric pivotal andlongitudinall.ysliding connection with said rocking member, while theother ends of the feed bars have eccentric connections with therespective concentric rock shafts.

18. In a sewing machine, a rocking mem her a set of concentric rockshafts whose axis is parallel to that of said rocking memher, and a setof feed bars each of which has at one end an eccentric pivotal andlongitudinally-sliding connection with said rocking member, while theother ends of the feed bars have eccentric connections with therespective concentric rock shafts, and means for giving said rock shaftsoscillating motions of equal or different extent. I

19. In a sewing machine, two stitching mechanisms arranged to producelaterallyspaced seams, individual intermittently-acting feeding devicesarranged for cooperation with the respective stitching mechanisms anddisposed out of line with respect to the normal direction of feed, saiddevices being substantially in transverse alignment at the beginning ofeach feed movement, and actuating means for causing either feedingdevice to have a greater feeding action than the other feeding device,or both devices to have equal feed actions.

20. In a sewing machine, a fabric support, two needles and means forreciprocating them jointly toward and from said support, a movable feeddog co-operating with one of said needles, and another feed dogcooperating with the other needle, and means operatively connected forimparting to either of said dogs feed movements of equal and differentextent relatively to the other.

' 21. In a sewing machine, two stitching mechanisms disposed out of linewith respect to the direction in which the goods travel normally,individual feeding devices likewise disposed out of line with respect tothe normal direction of feed, and in cooperative relation to therespective stitching mechanisms, and adJustable means operativelyconnected for effecting a variable dif-' ferential movement of both ofsaid feeding devices relatively to each other.

22. In a sewing machine, a fabric support, two needles arranged toreciprocate toward and from said support, a movable feed dogco-operating with one of said needles, an-

. in operation.

other feed dog co-operating with the other needle, and means operativelyconnected for imparting to'said dogs feed movements of equal anddifferent extent relatively to each other. I

23. In. a sewing machine, two stitching mechanisms disposed out of linewith respect I,

to the direction in which the goods travel normally, individual feedingdeviceslikewise disposed outof line with respect to the normal directionof feed, and in cooperative relatiorrto the respective stitchingmechanisms, and controlling means common to both of said feeding devicesto adjust the feed action of eitherof said devices relativelyto theother to produce differential movement thereof. 1': r

24:. Ina: afsewing "machine; two. stitching mechanisms disposed out ofline with re spect .to' the direction in which the goods travelnormally, individual feeding devices likewise disposed outof line withrespect to the normal direction of feed, and in cooperative relation. tothe respective stitching mechanisms, and controlling means common toboth of said feeding devices for 'impart ing to either of said devices,a feed movement of greater extent than that imparted to the otherdevice.' 1

25. In a sewing machine, stitching mechanism including two needlesdisposed out of line with respect to the direction in which the goodstravels normally, individual feeding devices disposed in line with therespective needles as regards the normal direction of feed, and each incooperative relation to one of the needles, and control ling meanscommon to both of said feeding devices for effecting a differential movement of either of said feeding devices relatively to the other. I

26,. In a feeding mechanism for sewing machines, a main drivingshaftextending through the head of the machine, a counter shaft, a pluralityof' feed dogs, common means for equally and differentially operatingsaid feed dogs, means on said countershaft adapted to operate said lastmentioned means, and means extending uprightly through the head of themachine and connecting said counter-shaft to said driving shaftto rotatesaid counter-shaft from said driving shaft. I

27. In a machine, the combination with the driving and several stitchforming mechanisms for producing rows of stitches simultaneously, ofcloth feeding devices associated with the several stitch forming dethrowof each of the feedingdevices independentlyiof the other while themachine is 28. In a multiple sewing machine, the combination withfeedlng and stitch form ing mechanism including means for forming rowsof stitches simultaneously, of cloth feeding devicesassociated with therespective stitch forming devices, and means under the contrOl of theoperatives knee and'independent of the other operating means fordecreasing and increasing the/throw of each feeding device while theother feeding deviceremains at its normal throw.

29. Ina sewing machine, the combination with the driving and severalstitch forming mechanisms for producing parallel rows of stitchessimultaneously, of cloth feeding devices associated with the severalstitch forming devices respectively, and operatively connected'means toincrease and decrease the throw 0t any of the feeding devicesindependentof the other while the machine is in operation. 7

30. In a sewing machine, the combination with driving and stitchingmechanisms for producing multi-rows' of stitches, of feed ing'meansassociated with the stitch forming mechanism respectively, and a singlemeans severally controlling the speed of said feeding means. i

31. In a sewing machine, two stitching mechanisms arranged to producelaterally 'spaced'seams, individual feeding devices arranged forco-operation with the respective stitching mechanisms, means foroperating said feeding devices, adjustable means modifying the action ofthe feeding'device, and

